Foot enclosing device



ec- 2, 1952 w. T. MATTES FOOT ENCLOSING DEVICE Filed May 10, 1951 INVENTOR. j/affy.

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Patented Dec. 2, 1952 'c PAT ENT F60! ENCLOSING DEVICE Willi-amAX .Mattesyflhihaigodlh Application May '10, 1951,. SeriaT'N'o. 225;5'49

5?Glaims; I:

This invention relates to a i'oot-enciosing device-and more particularly teaminfantsshoe constructions The fitting 'of shoes onthe feet of an--- intant 'generai-ly is an awkward and' dimeu1t--operation isd u'e' t'e-the natural tendency ot'an infant to -stiifenand arch-his foot when a shoe orrbootee isbeihg p'l-aced neon; Even thou-g the shoe lace-or ribbon islocsened, tneop'enin ntheupof the shoe oi bootee is normally not ofsuffieient' size to allow thefoot, when-in such a stiiferied condition, to readilyslip therethrough into theshoes To overcome-this-diffieulty various shoes have been proposed which have-a-sp1it-heei-.- Such howeven-are either wanting means -for properly holding the split heei 'tcgether wnen the shoe is on the foot of the infe; uncomfortable Thus-it ie-one of the obje'dts oi this-invention to" provide; a: shoe which-' ina y be readily: fitted on: the foot-cf the infant; even though the i-nfant hoids nisroot in a stiffened and arched position.

It is aiu'r-ther object of thisinvention to provide a spl-it :h'eel typeshoe -halv' "g-means provided ,foi 's'ecuiely holdifig the s' t hen-portions together even tncu n tne'shoeis-suejectedto repeateu: knocks and-:scufis bythe wearer.

It is a; runner objeotof this'in-ventiom'to pro 'vide' aasplit heel type-shoe which is or simple and inexpensive construction, comfortable to weanand: attractive in appearancez Further" and additional objects" will" appear the heel-ofthe upper thereof-in a closed :position;

Fig. '2 'i's aside'elevational view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1;

Fig'i is-aback view of the-shoe shown in Fig.1;

'Fig'i' is like-Fig: 4 but" showing the heel of theupper' in a; partially opened position-amt 5 comprising a sole- I l' andan'upper l2 mounted onsaiii' sole and disp'osed-thereabove; The-upper l2 in this instance is of a conventional ankleembracing style having the sides l3 and M tied together at the-front by a shoe lace or 'ribbon 251* The back portions 2'1" and I6, o'iifls'id'e"sections 13 and 14; respectively, are adjustableand cooperate witn one another to form an openenclosed-heel l5: When the 'sidesections 1-3 and vll are in "an opened heel position, as seen in Fig. '6,"the-infants foot; even though arched and stiffened, may be readily positioned within thes-hoer When the side sections cooperate to forma closed heel; back portion Hi of 'sidesecticn M is overlapped-by back" portion 2| of side section I3, as seen in Figs; 1 through 4. Back portion I 6 is rovidedwith the male portions Fla o'f co'nventional type snap fasteners'. The'c'ent'er Stud [8 of eachmale "portion "a is adapted "to register with and extend through a corresponding aperture 20 formed in the back portion 2| of side section-i3; when the side'sect'ionsare in an overlapping closed-heel relation.

Secured-by stitching 22 to" arearwardly extending'ta-b- 23 formed on *themedge-o! soled! is-an el'on'gatedanchoring element or flap 24. The flap-2 4' is-adjustabIe-and may assume a down position A- when the heel is opened, asseen in Figs; 5' and 6 or may assume an upright- -reinforcing position B; when .the 'heel is closed; as

seen Figs. -1 through-'4. Mountedin spaced relation on flap 2 4- are the female portions IZ'I-b of'thesnap' fasteners which are adapted, when fants foot, even though it be in a stiff or arched position. Subsequent to the foot being positioned within the shoe, the back portions Iii and 2| of the side sections are brought into overlapping heel-closing relation. The flap 24 is then adjusted to position B whereupon the male and female portions Ila and Nb, respectively, of the snap fasteners are caused to interlock with each other thereby securely holding the heel in its closed position. The shoe lace 25 may then be pulled up tight and tied.

The flap 24, when in position B, overlies and conceals the overlapping back portions of the side sections I3 and I4, and thus prevents the side sections from accidentally becoming disengaged, when the shoe is jarred or struck by the infants kicking or scufiing against a solid surface, even though only one of the snap fasteners securing the flap to the side section is interlocked. Furthermore the flap 2 serves to give added support or reinforcement to the heel of the shoe thereby adding to the comfort of the wearer. By

having the free end of flap 24 adapted to be positively secured by means of the snap fasteners to the back side portion N5 of the shoe so that the other back side portion 2! is sandwiched therebetween, the flap and back side portions may be caused to assume a substantially fixed relation with respect toone another so long as the snap fasteners remain closed. Thus, regardless of the activity of the wearer, there is no possibility of the back side portion I6 working its way down inside the shoe and cause discomfort to the wearer.

Thus it will be seen that an infants shoe has been provided which greatly facilitates the fitting of the shoe on the foot of an infant. Furthermore, an infants shoe has also been provided which is simple and inexpensive in construction, comfortable to wear, will remain on the foot of the wearer even under the most rugged conditions, and is attractive in appearance.

While a particular embodiment of this invention is shown above, it will be understood, of

course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and his contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A foot-enclosing device comprising an upper having rear portions movable into and out of overlapping relation with respect to one another, an elongated element operatively connected to said upper for movement into and out of an upperreinforcing position overlying the exposed sides of said rear portions when the latter are in overlapping relation, and fastening means cooperating with said upper rear portions and said elongated element for securing said element, when in said upright-reinforcing position, in a substantially fixed relation with respect to said rear portions, when the latter are in overlapping relation.

2. A foot-enclosing device comprising an upper having rear portions movable into and out of overlapping relation with respect to one another, an elongated element operatively connected at one end to said upper adjacent the rear portions thereof for movement into and out of an upright reinforcing position overlying and concealing the exposed sides of said rear portions when the latter are in overlapping relation, and fastening said sole for movement into and out of an upright reinforcing position overlying the exposed sides of said rear portions, when the latter are in overlapping relation, and fastening means having a portion thereof mounted on said flap and a complemental portion mounted on one of said rear portions for retaining said rear portions and said flap in substantially fixed relation with respect to one another when the portions of said means are in cooperative relation. 1

4. A foot-enclosing device comprising a sole, an

upper secured to said sole and having rear side portions movable into and out of overlapping relation with respect to one another, an elongated flap mounted at one end on and extending rear- Wardly from said sole for movement into and out of an upright reinforcing position overlying and concealing the exposed sides of said rear side portions, when the latter are in overlapping relation, and fastening means having a portion thereof mounted on the free end of said flap and a complemental portion mounted on one of said rear side portions for securing together in substanially xed relation, said overlapping rear side portions and said flap in said upright reinforcing position, when the portions of said means arein cooperative relation.

5. A foot-enclosing device comprising an upper having rear side portions movable into and out of overlapping relation with respect to. one another, the overlapping rear side portion being provided with an aperture, an elongated flap operatively connected to said upper adjacent said rear side portions for movement into and out of an upright reinforcing position overlying and concealing theexposed sides of said rear side portions, when the latter are in overlapping relation, and fastening means having one part thereof mounted on the overlapped rear side portion and in registration with said overlapping rear side portion aperture, when said rear side portions are in overlapping relation, and having a complemental part mounted on said flap and cooperating with said first mentioned part, when said flap is in said upright reinforcing position, to effect retention of said rear side portions in overlapping relation.

WILLIAM T. MATTES,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 248,287 Burr Oct. 18, 1881 645,467 Fowler Mar. 13, 1900 1,114,435 Batten Oct. 20, 1914 1,171,689 Allen Feb. 15, 1916 1,184,123 Paul May 23, 1916 2,420,239 Hack May 6, 1947 

